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Coramonde #1
The Doomfarers of Coramonde
MISSION to HELLJust yesterday, Sergeant Gil MacDonald and his APC crew had been fending off an ambush in a Viet Nam jungle. In the middle of the firefight, some kind of magic spell had transported them to this Fantasy Land complete with flying dragons, wizards, crazy castles, and dispossessed princes.They would stay trapped here forever unless they could rescue the sorceress Gabrielle. Master magician, Amon, held her captive in his palace; and to reach her, Gil and his men would have to infiltrate Hell itself!
356 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1977
44 people are currently reading
702 people want to read
About the author
Brian Daley
47 books97 followersBrian was born in Englewood Hospital in Englewood, New Jersey on Dec. 22, 1947. A blizzard kept him and his mother at the hospital over Christmas, and the nurses sang "Away in a Manger" to them.
His middle name is Charles. He grew up in Rockleigh, NJ. His mother's name was Myra and his father's name was Charles. He has an older brother, David, and a younger sister, also named Myra. He had no children of his own, but he was always great with his two nieces and four nephews.
He went to Nathan Hale Elementary School in Norwood, NJ, and a consolidated High School - Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, NJ.
Brian loved to read, drive his '74 Corvette Stingray, spend summers with me on Martha's Vineyard, and travel to wild and exotic places like the jungles of Guatemala and Mexico, and the mountains of Nepal.
He said he wanted to write from an early age, about third grade. He also read a LOT of science fiction as a kid, and that inspired him.
After he graduated from high school in 1965 he joined the army and went to Vietnam for a year's tour of duty. Then he went to Berlin, Germany.
After the army he went to Jersey City State College, majoring in media. While attending college and working as a waiter at a local steak house, he also wrote his first novel, Doomfarers of Coromande. Del Rey Books accepted it and started him on his writing career. The editor picked Brian's manuscript out of the "slush" pile (unsolicited manuscripts) because it was the most neatly typed, but it wasn't accepted right away. The editor made Brian do a lot of re-writing.
When the first STAR WARS movie came out Brian saw it, and he was elated. He said he came out of the theater fundamentally changed. His editor asked which character he would like to write about for a movie-related novel. Brian said he picked Han Solo because Han was the only one who made a moral decision... he started out on the wrong side of the law, but joined with the good guys. And to tell you the truth, Brian was a whole lot like Han, a maverick.
He died of pancreatic cancer in February of 1996. He had just turned 49. He wrote the adaptation for National Public Radio drama THE RETURN OF THE JEDI while he was undergoing chemotherapy. He died at his house in Maryland the night the Jedi radio cast was toasting him at their wrap party, having finished the taping of the shows that day.
When they posted the notice of his death, messages began coming in from all over the world. The gist of them was that his passing created a "disturbance in the Force."
Brian Daley's first novel, The Doomfarers of Coramonde, was published on the first Del Rey list in 1977. It was an immediate success, and Brian went on to write its sequel, The Starfollowers of Coramonde, and many other successful novels: A Tapestry of Magics, three volumes of The Adventures of Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh, and, under the shared pseudonym 'Jack McKinney', ten and one half of the twenty-one Robotech novels. He first conceived of the complex GammaL.A.W. saga in Nepal, in 1984, and worked on its four volumes for the next twelve years, finishing it shortly before his death in 1996.
His middle name is Charles. He grew up in Rockleigh, NJ. His mother's name was Myra and his father's name was Charles. He has an older brother, David, and a younger sister, also named Myra. He had no children of his own, but he was always great with his two nieces and four nephews.
He went to Nathan Hale Elementary School in Norwood, NJ, and a consolidated High School - Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, NJ.
Brian loved to read, drive his '74 Corvette Stingray, spend summers with me on Martha's Vineyard, and travel to wild and exotic places like the jungles of Guatemala and Mexico, and the mountains of Nepal.
He said he wanted to write from an early age, about third grade. He also read a LOT of science fiction as a kid, and that inspired him.
After he graduated from high school in 1965 he joined the army and went to Vietnam for a year's tour of duty. Then he went to Berlin, Germany.
After the army he went to Jersey City State College, majoring in media. While attending college and working as a waiter at a local steak house, he also wrote his first novel, Doomfarers of Coromande. Del Rey Books accepted it and started him on his writing career. The editor picked Brian's manuscript out of the "slush" pile (unsolicited manuscripts) because it was the most neatly typed, but it wasn't accepted right away. The editor made Brian do a lot of re-writing.
When the first STAR WARS movie came out Brian saw it, and he was elated. He said he came out of the theater fundamentally changed. His editor asked which character he would like to write about for a movie-related novel. Brian said he picked Han Solo because Han was the only one who made a moral decision... he started out on the wrong side of the law, but joined with the good guys. And to tell you the truth, Brian was a whole lot like Han, a maverick.
He died of pancreatic cancer in February of 1996. He had just turned 49. He wrote the adaptation for National Public Radio drama THE RETURN OF THE JEDI while he was undergoing chemotherapy. He died at his house in Maryland the night the Jedi radio cast was toasting him at their wrap party, having finished the taping of the shows that day.
When they posted the notice of his death, messages began coming in from all over the world. The gist of them was that his passing created a "disturbance in the Force."
Brian Daley's first novel, The Doomfarers of Coramonde, was published on the first Del Rey list in 1977. It was an immediate success, and Brian went on to write its sequel, The Starfollowers of Coramonde, and many other successful novels: A Tapestry of Magics, three volumes of The Adventures of Hobart Floyt and Alacrity Fitzhugh, and, under the shared pseudonym 'Jack McKinney', ten and one half of the twenty-one Robotech novels. He first conceived of the complex GammaL.A.W. saga in Nepal, in 1984, and worked on its four volumes for the next twelve years, finishing it shortly before his death in 1996.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 23, 2014
This was a far better fantasy than I recalled. It's really held up well & had all the elements needed to make it an excellent one; action, romance, & excellent attention to the realities of war, although the hyperbole factor was quite high. The best fighters were also the rulers, so they tended to continually put themselves in harm's way. Kind of silly, like Kirk & the command crew of the Enterprise, but fun.
While the world is one with magic, there are other dimensions of which ours is one, so a few characters, 2 of the main ones, are from our world. That added a lot to the story. Not everyone was good or bad, either. While Good & Evil were forces in the world, some people were occasionally jerks & got put in their place. Very well done.
I can't say I was in love with the reader, but he didn't ruin it either. It was a bit more of a production than I like. Different voices for each character & some were hard to hear, the voice was low. The Hightowers were great. They sounded like Sean Connery & made me think of Highlander, which fit perfectly.
There is a sequel to this story, The Starfollowers of Coramonde. I have it on audio & plan to listen to it soon.
While the world is one with magic, there are other dimensions of which ours is one, so a few characters, 2 of the main ones, are from our world. That added a lot to the story. Not everyone was good or bad, either. While Good & Evil were forces in the world, some people were occasionally jerks & got put in their place. Very well done.
I can't say I was in love with the reader, but he didn't ruin it either. It was a bit more of a production than I like. Different voices for each character & some were hard to hear, the voice was low. The Hightowers were great. They sounded like Sean Connery & made me think of Highlander, which fit perfectly.
There is a sequel to this story, The Starfollowers of Coramonde. I have it on audio & plan to listen to it soon.
August 5, 2013
I am a consummate Star Wars fan. Brian Daley wrote the scripts for the NPR Radio Adaptations of the original Star Wars trilogy. It was something I grew up with, and still listen to today. Truly, a masterpiece of writing, voicing, and audio post-production. Sadly, the world will not benefit from any new Daley material, as he has become one with the Force. But, when I saw his Coramonde duology at the local used book store, I eagerly grabbed it, as I'd not read any of his non-Star Wars work. This first novel in the 2-book set surprised me at many turns. For one, his masterful command of the English language had me looking up words left and right. I felt as if I were prepping for a go at the SAT verbal section. Secondly, where else will you find a novel that appeared as typical fantasy story with princes and kingdoms, but that has such surprises inside as science-fiction gizmos including inter-dimensional travel, Vietnam war battle scenes, and don't forget the vocabulary lessons. If you enjoy wizards, demons, ogres, grenades, dragons, magic, machine guns, epic battle scenes, castle sieges, knights, hand-to-hand combat, lizard men, tanks, trips to hell, a smattering of tasteful love scenes, and don't mind pulling out the dictionary, I think you'll enjoy this book, just like I did. Bravo, Brian, and R.I.P.!
February 13, 2019
An incredible fantasy series. My only regret it that it was only 2 books long. I loved all the awesome characters. Highly recommended
August 15, 2020
Great classic science fiction/fantasy story
What is the most loved dangerous monster in fantasy? A dragon. What would make a great fight between a dragon which might be thought to be a modern day, somewhat the same size, military hardware? A tank.
This story is about an armored personnel carrier, APC, which is accidentally summoned to defeat a fire dragon in an alternate reality where magic is real. What would the people in the APC think? What would the people who summoned it think about modern guns and grenades?
The book is all about these what-ifs, but so much more. The side of evil is close to winning against good, in the magic world.
This one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. When I had it in paperback I loaned to many of my nerd friends and they loved it also. I don’t give many 5 star ratings for fantasy novels. I solid give it 6 stars if I could.
The author crewed in an APC in the Vietnam War so he tried to make it as realistic as he could.
What is the most loved dangerous monster in fantasy? A dragon. What would make a great fight between a dragon which might be thought to be a modern day, somewhat the same size, military hardware? A tank.
This story is about an armored personnel carrier, APC, which is accidentally summoned to defeat a fire dragon in an alternate reality where magic is real. What would the people in the APC think? What would the people who summoned it think about modern guns and grenades?
The book is all about these what-ifs, but so much more. The side of evil is close to winning against good, in the magic world.
This one of the best fantasy books I’ve ever read. When I had it in paperback I loaned to many of my nerd friends and they loved it also. I don’t give many 5 star ratings for fantasy novels. I solid give it 6 stars if I could.
The author crewed in an APC in the Vietnam War so he tried to make it as realistic as he could.
October 23, 2014
3.5 stars. A fairly typical fantasy world, but it has some interesting elements not done in others. Well written & good. The sequel is very good, too.
There aren't a lot of characters or weird names cluttering up the prose. The magic is very magical, but has an internal logic & the idea of inter-dimensional travel, as hackneyed as it is, came across well.
Daley is similar to Alan Dean Foster, IMO. Good reading for a rainy day; interesting, amusing & just generally fun. I never expect great works of art from him, but am always satisfied with the fare.
There aren't a lot of characters or weird names cluttering up the prose. The magic is very magical, but has an internal logic & the idea of inter-dimensional travel, as hackneyed as it is, came across well.
Daley is similar to Alan Dean Foster, IMO. Good reading for a rainy day; interesting, amusing & just generally fun. I never expect great works of art from him, but am always satisfied with the fare.
May 3, 2010
A really good example of what happens when a real soldier with all of his experience in arms and with modern weapons is transplanted into a fantasy world to take on evil fantasy magicians. Imbued with colorful likeable characters, great battle scenes, its just a really fun read.
Loved it.
Loved it.
December 22, 2015
One of the first Fantasy books I fell in love with, prior to this I was reading only hard sci-fi
November 3, 2018
My husband gave me this book, as a beloved tome from his adolescence. I was expecting straight up high fantasy when I cracked it openand was delighted to find many twists and turns not only in the plot but in the genre itself. A fun romp.
October 13, 2013
The is the best fantasy novel that few have ever heard of, ever. I actually reread once every couple of years, as it is one of my all-time favorite books, period.
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March 5, 2018Bleh... Sorry, couldn't get into it. The premise sounded interesting having all that good fantasy stuff... but I just found the storytelling boring.
I listened to the audio book - the voice was kind of monotone... maybe that contributed to my boredom...? I dunno? x'D
I listened to the audio book - the voice was kind of monotone... maybe that contributed to my boredom...? I dunno? x'D
June 9, 2014
I read this long ago and remember liking it so I gave it a shot. I’m pleased to say that it still holds up. It’s your basic fantasy with swords and spells, dragons and evil villains, but with a surprise when a summoning brings forth a US Army armored personnel carrier and its crew plucked right out of an ambush in the Vietnam War. The author does a good job at writing and world building and I like how the characters have some flaws. One protagonist is nearsighted and more than a couple have a tendency to be arrogant assholes. Somehow they deal with each other’s bullshit and muddle their way along. Sadly, I just discovered the author passed away early in his career so this, its sequel, and a handful of other novels are all we’ll get. Now on to the sequel….
May 2, 2018
Timeless tale so eloquently written!
An action packed fantasy/scifi (albeit tiny fraction of science) story that grabs you from the beginning. Wonderful character development supports the building tempo of plot. The empathy engendered by the author's presentation of inner feelings & thoughts of characters is amazing. Laugh; shout in triumph; mutter no, no, no, no, nononono, NO!; feel the weight and personal cost of choosing to live...
Not necessarily in that order. Depending on your prior personal experiences and heart, your mileage may vary.
An action packed fantasy/scifi (albeit tiny fraction of science) story that grabs you from the beginning. Wonderful character development supports the building tempo of plot. The empathy engendered by the author's presentation of inner feelings & thoughts of characters is amazing. Laugh; shout in triumph; mutter no, no, no, no, nononono, NO!; feel the weight and personal cost of choosing to live...
Not necessarily in that order. Depending on your prior personal experiences and heart, your mileage may vary.
August 8, 2017
Pretty good swords and sorcery with the unexpected (because I didn't read the back of the book) addition of a tank. Yay!
September 1, 2020
This is such an odd one. The blurb on the back (and here on GR) says it's about a group of soldiers in Vietnam who are transported with their APC to a fantasy realm to fight a dragon... which sounds great, doesn't it? But when you start reading, it's a full six chapters before the APC puts in an appearance. Up until that point, the book is a fairly standard, rather dense sword-and-sorcery epic, albeit with some very good fight scenes.
Then the APC arrives and it gets exciting! Except, after sixty pages, the APC defeats the dragon and gets sent home again, taking most of the interesting characters with it. We're then left with two hundred more pages of dense slog, political infighting, and loose plot threads to wade through until the end.
It's just... odd. Anyone expecting a fun tank-out-of-jungle romp will likely be put off by all the heavy stuff that surrounds it. And anyone wanting a revenge-fuelled slash-em-up, with the rightful heir to the throne fighting his way through the evil wizard's hordes, will be confused as heck by the Twilight Zone interlude where a 20 Century vehicle and five soldiers appear out of nowhere to fight a dragon called Chaffinch. (Btw, it's heavily hinted that Chaffinch is a lesser dragon, hence the funny name, and there are much bigger dragons waiting to be unleashed. However, do not hold your breath expecting them to turn up for the final battle, because wherever they are, they ain't in this story.)
There was a really good story in this book. Unfortunately it wasn't the one that the author wanted to tell.
Then the APC arrives and it gets exciting! Except, after sixty pages, the APC defeats the dragon and gets sent home again, taking most of the interesting characters with it. We're then left with two hundred more pages of dense slog, political infighting, and loose plot threads to wade through until the end.
It's just... odd. Anyone expecting a fun tank-out-of-jungle romp will likely be put off by all the heavy stuff that surrounds it. And anyone wanting a revenge-fuelled slash-em-up, with the rightful heir to the throne fighting his way through the evil wizard's hordes, will be confused as heck by the Twilight Zone interlude where a 20 Century vehicle and five soldiers appear out of nowhere to fight a dragon called Chaffinch. (Btw, it's heavily hinted that Chaffinch is a lesser dragon, hence the funny name, and there are much bigger dragons waiting to be unleashed. However, do not hold your breath expecting them to turn up for the final battle, because wherever they are, they ain't in this story.)
There was a really good story in this book. Unfortunately it wasn't the one that the author wanted to tell.
February 14, 2023
This story has everything - dragon versus tank, wizards and warriors, monsters and maidens. It's a short book but it keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. This is one of the most consistently exciting books I have read in a long time.
In some ways it has every fantasy cliche known. The baddies are bad all the way through, the heroes so noble it hurts. If it were a western, they would wear black and white hats. And yet there is considerable introspection and soul searching as well and endless invention. The quotes at each chapter head are pithy and relevant selections or sometimes fictional scraps of poetry, introspective writings from the main character (and surprisingly good at that). As we reach the end of each chapter it is apparent that they are always apt.
The story moves at a breakneck pace and there is more action in this slim volume than any two of the Game Of Thrones door stops. Major battles are covered in a few pages yet still come across as extremely thrilling. Characters are vividly sketched in remarkably few words and yet quickly become familiar and we are concerned for their wellbeing. There's a lesson here for writers who think a story needs multiple volumes of a thousand pages.
I was within a hair's breadth of giving this five stars but let's be honest, it isn't great literature. On the other hand it is a rollicking ride, consistently exciting and a long term favourite of mine.
In some ways it has every fantasy cliche known. The baddies are bad all the way through, the heroes so noble it hurts. If it were a western, they would wear black and white hats. And yet there is considerable introspection and soul searching as well and endless invention. The quotes at each chapter head are pithy and relevant selections or sometimes fictional scraps of poetry, introspective writings from the main character (and surprisingly good at that). As we reach the end of each chapter it is apparent that they are always apt.
The story moves at a breakneck pace and there is more action in this slim volume than any two of the Game Of Thrones door stops. Major battles are covered in a few pages yet still come across as extremely thrilling. Characters are vividly sketched in remarkably few words and yet quickly become familiar and we are concerned for their wellbeing. There's a lesson here for writers who think a story needs multiple volumes of a thousand pages.
I was within a hair's breadth of giving this five stars but let's be honest, it isn't great literature. On the other hand it is a rollicking ride, consistently exciting and a long term favourite of mine.
September 6, 2019
Imagine something as pompous as Lord of the Rings, with the many names, and the fancy speech, and the heavy lore, but worse. Imagine characters so cardboard and childish as to be the basest of archetypes: the young prince, the evil vizier, the good mage, the wise intellectual, the down-to-earth soldier, the evil step-mother queen, the noble savage, the beautiful red-head that doesn't speak much or voice any opinion of consequence, but all men talk about her and plan what to do with her (when they are not saving her) and so on and so on.
Why would you read it? I don't know. I managed to get past halfway through The Doomfarers of Coramonde until I asked myself the same question and decided to switch books. However it is clear that Brian Daley put his heart and sweat into this. It is not a bad book, it's just not very good, and the work that went into the world building and the naming of each and every character, whether they matter or not, make me want to rate this book higher.
Bottom line: B- for effort, but a D for enjoyment.
Why would you read it? I don't know. I managed to get past halfway through The Doomfarers of Coramonde until I asked myself the same question and decided to switch books. However it is clear that Brian Daley put his heart and sweat into this. It is not a bad book, it's just not very good, and the work that went into the world building and the naming of each and every character, whether they matter or not, make me want to rate this book higher.
Bottom line: B- for effort, but a D for enjoyment.
March 28, 2023
Books about people from the modern world being transplanted to a different dimension / reality has been a staple of science-fiction and fantasy for a log time, especially during the 70s, when this book was written. This book handles it differently than most in the genre, in that the reality-hopping characters are not the focus of the story, and don't even appear in the first 5 or 6 chapters. Up until then, it is a more-or-less standard fantasy story, albeit with a very 70s feel to it.
The book is well-written and the characters are interesting and well-developed (although some of them do benefit from plot armour on a few occasions). Well worth a read.
The book is well-written and the characters are interesting and well-developed (although some of them do benefit from plot armour on a few occasions). Well worth a read.
December 18, 2023
Daley (who died young), is best known for his Star Wars, Robotech and Tron novels. I really enjoyed his science fiction trilogy (Alacrity FitzHugh and Hobart Floyt) in the early 90's, but this one reads like so many fantasy books from the late 70's, early 80's, and was one of the reasons that I mostly stopped reading SFF for about ten years and tried other genres. Daley does make one addition to try to spice it up: the inclusion (via portal technology) of "modern" (i.e. late 70's) warfare equipment, battle tactics and strategy, which are completely unknown in this fantasy world. It wasn't enough for me, and I doubt that I'll bother with the second book in the duology.
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October 23, 2025MISSION to HELLJust yesterday, Sergeant Gil MacDonald and his APC crew had been fending off an ambush in a Viet Nam jungle. In the middle of the firefight, some kind of magic spell had transported them to this Fantasy Land complete with flying dragons, wizards, crazy castles, and dispossessed princes.They would stay trapped here forever unless they could rescue the sorceress Gabrielle. Master magician, Amon, held her captive in his palace; and to reach her, Gil and his men would have to infiltrate Hell itself!
February 10, 2025
An evil sorcerer, unmatched swordsmen, lithe women, and a M113 Armored Personnel Carrier transported with crew to this fantastical realm in turmoil. 14 yr old me would have given this story 5 stars. But older me gives it a 3. The writing is excellent even with some of the hard to pronounce names, but the story overall was just too 1977.
January 19, 2020
An exceptional read that blends classic fantasy tropes and themes and brings in modern sensibilities when Vietnam soldiers are transported to a Tolkienesque world of knights, wizards, dragons and monsters.
The execution is worthy of the concept, and highly recommended.
The execution is worthy of the concept, and highly recommended.
April 25, 2020
I read this as a kid and thought it was fantastic. Reading it again, it stands up still, mostly. Good fantasy with a bit of somewhat modern combat mixed in. Enjoyable and quick read, definitely recommend!
March 19, 2023
A group of American soldiers (and their APC!) in the middle of a Viet Cong ambush get sucked into a fantasy land. Yeah, can't resist that hook. Strange decision to use normal (albeit great) generic fantasy cover art for a book that features guys with machine-guns fighting a dragon.
February 7, 2025
I’m more and more becoming a fan of military-fantasy books; In otherwords, gripping war thrillers that take a SciFi/fantasy twist. Though almost 50 years old, “The Doomfarers of Coramonde” is just such a tale, blending the Vietnam War with magical knights of old.
January 25, 2018
Great old Sci-Fi book I read back in college.
October 16, 2018
Enjoyable story. Crazy magic, mad science, fantastical feudal war meets ... a tank from Vietnam :) Basically a bit of a mad romp.
January 7, 2019
Not a bad read - I think I would have liked it better with less info-dump.
July 29, 2019
Read this when I was in Junior High, and never forgot it. I loved the premise of a modern army being sucked into a fantasy world.
October 30, 2021
Some what interesting idea that is hardly even utilized in the book.
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September 7, 2023What a load of.... rubbish talk about using twenty words when one would have sufficed! and the plot just kept going off on a tangent. Honestly I think this is the worst book I've ever read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews